TY  - EJOU
AU  - Liu, Qunlu 
AU  - Liaquat, Fiza 
AU  - Tang, Qiqi 
AU  - Yang, Jun 
AU  - Qiu, Shuai 
AU  - Malik, Amber 
AU  - Ye, Kang 
AU  - Gao, Kai 
AU  - Qin, Jun 

TI  - Genome-Wide Scanning Analysis for MYB and MADS in <i>Hydrangea macrophylla</i> and the Inflorescence Type Related Candidate Genes Expression Analysis
T2  - Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany

PY  - 2025
VL  - 94
IS  - 11
SN  - 1851-5657

AB  - <i>Hydrangea macrophylla</i> is a popular ornamental shrub with a lot of economic and aesthetic value. It is known for its different flower shapes (lacecap and mophead) and the way its flowers change color depending on the pH of the soil. Even though it is important for gardening, we still don’t know much about the molecular processes that lead to flower growth. The purpose of this study was to find and study SNP-related genes and transcription factors that are connected to the growth of <i>H. macrophylla</i> flowers. Genome-wide SNP analysis identified 11 SNPs associated with MYB transcription factors and 10 SNPs linked to a MADS-box SEP1 gene, highlighting their potential role in inflorescence-type regulation. These SNPs provide genomic resources for functional validation and marker-assisted breeding in <i>Hydrangea macrophylla</i>. We found the MYB and MADS-box gene families, which are important for pigmentation and flower organ identity, through an analysis of the transcriptome and gene expression. The MYB family has 73 1R-MYBs, 105 R2R3-MYBs, and 4 3R-MYBs. The MADS-box family had 42 Type I (M-type) members and 36 Type II (MIKC-type) members. Motif and phylogenetic analysis showed that certain domains were preserved. For example, R2R3-MYBs and MIKC-type MADS genes are grouped with <i>Arabidopsis</i> orthologs, which suggests that their functions are also preserved. There was a clear link between the greatest expression of MADS-box genes and the distinct phases of floral bud differentiation. Some MYB genes, on the other hand, showed alternative expression patterns that may help petals or sepals develop. qRT-PCR validation of representative MYB and MADS-box genes corroborated the transcriptome-based expression profiles, supporting their role in flower development and inflorescence-type regulation.
KW  - <i>Hydrangea macrophylla;</i> SNP-linked gene expression; MYB transcription factor; MADS-box genes; floral development

DO  - 10.32604/phyton.2025.071989